You’ve been doing the daily injections. You’ve put up with that initial wave of nausea, and you’re keeping track of your blood sugar. But the scale? It’s not moving. Or maybe it dropped five pounds and then just... stopped. Honestly, it’s beyond frustrating when you’re taking a GLP-1 medication like Victoza and everyone else seems to be shedding weight while you’re stuck in the mud.
Here is the truth: Victoza isn't a "weight loss drug" in the way people talk about Wegovy or Zepbound today. It can help, for sure, but there are some specific, scientific reasons why the pounds aren't coming off.
The Dose-Response Gap
One of the most common reasons you're wondering why am I not losing weight on Victoza is simply the math of the dosage.
Victoza is the brand name for liraglutide, specifically approved for treating Type 2 diabetes. The maximum dose for Victoza is 1.8 mg. Now, look at its sister drug, Saxenda. Saxenda is also liraglutide—the exact same molecule—but it’s FDA-approved specifically for chronic weight management. The dose for Saxenda? 3.0 mg.
If you’re on the 1.2 mg or 1.8 mg dose of Victoza, you are essentially on a "lite" version of the weight loss dose. In clinical trials like the LEAD studies, people on the 1.8 mg dose of Victoza typically lost between 5 to 7 pounds over six months. That’s a far cry from the 15% or 20% total body weight loss stories you see on social media regarding newer drugs like semaglutide.
Basically, your dose might be high enough to fix your A1C, but not high enough to aggressively shut down your appetite.
Your Body is Smarter Than the Needle
Metabolic adaptation is real. It’s also kinda annoying.
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When you start losing weight, your body thinks you’re starving in a cave somewhere. It reacts by lowering your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). It decides to burn fewer calories to keep you alive. This is often called "adaptive thermogenesis."
As your weight drops, your body needs less energy. If you’re still eating the same amount of calories as you were on day one of the medication, you might have hit your new maintenance level. What worked at 240 lbs won't always work at 210 lbs.
The "Calorie Compensation" Trap
Sometimes, we unconsciously sabotage the medication. Because Victoza slows down gastric emptying—meaning food stays in your stomach longer—you feel full faster. But humans don’t just eat because they’re hungry.
We eat because we’re bored. We eat because it’s 6:00 PM. We eat because that cookie looks amazing.
Dr. Ali and other obesity experts often point out "calorie compensation." This is when a patient eats less at lunch because of the drug but then "rewards" themselves with a high-calorie snack later, or drinks more liquid calories (like soda or alcohol) that slide right past that full feeling in the stomach.
Why Alcohol Stalls Your Progress
- Empty Calories: A single cocktail can have 200-500 calories.
- Hormone Disruption: Alcohol can mess with leptin and ghrelin, the very hormones Victoza is trying to regulate.
- The "Munchies": It lowers inhibitions, making it way easier to ignore your diet plan after one glass of wine.
Hidden Health Blockers
Sometimes it isn't the Victoza at all. It’s your internal chemistry.
Conditions like PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) or an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) create a massive headwind against weight loss. If your thyroid isn't producing enough hormone, your metabolism is essentially stuck in first gear. No amount of GLP-1 stimulation can fully override a sluggish thyroid or the intense insulin resistance that comes with PCOS.
Then there’s the "Non-Responder" reality. Not everyone’s receptors are the same. A 2025 retrospective cohort study published in the NIH archives found that roughly 10% to 30% of people are "non-responders" to GLP-1 therapies. They just don't have the same genetic sensitivity to the hormone. It sucks, but for some, the biology just doesn't click.
Moving Beyond the Plateau
If you're stuck, you need to change the variables.
First, look at your protein intake. When you lose weight on Victoza, you aren't just losing fat; you can lose muscle too. Muscle is your metabolic engine. If you lose muscle, your metabolism tanks even further. You’ve got to prioritize protein and, frankly, you’ve got to lift something heavy. Resistance training twice a week is the only way to protect that metabolic engine.
Second, be honest about the data. Use a tracking app for just one week. Don't change anything, just record it. Most people underestimate their calorie intake by about 30%. Those "little bites" of the kids' leftovers or the extra splash of cream in the coffee add up when you're on a lower-dose medication like Victoza.
Actionable Steps to Restart Weight Loss
- Review your dose with your doctor. If your blood sugar is stable but weight is stalled, ask if moving to a 3.0 mg dose (Saxenda) or switching to a weekly semaglutide/tirzepatide is an option.
- Audit your sleep. Getting less than six hours of sleep can cause a spike in cortisol and ghrelid. It makes the Victoza work twice as hard to keep you from craving sugar.
- Increase "NEAT". This is Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. Fidget, take the stairs, walk while you're on the phone. These tiny movements can burn an extra 200-400 calories a day without the stress of a "workout."
- Check your other meds. Are you on beta-blockers, certain antidepressants, or insulin? These can all cause weight gain or retention that fights against the liraglutide.
Victoza is a tool, not a magic wand. If the scale isn't moving, it's usually a sign that the "biological noise"—whether from low dosage, metabolic adaptation, or underlying hormones—is louder than the medication's signal. Focus on muscle preservation and data-driven eating to give the medicine the environment it needs to actually work.